Multicultural Environmental Education: Personal Watershed Project
By Jessica C. Levine
Introduction
Engaging a diverse student population in any discipline requires educators to personalize curriculum
and adapt it to students. Education that is relevant and meaningful in this way can be transformative
and effective. Reaching students where they are and growing together from that place often allows
for student and teacher reflection; in that reflection, content and concepts solidify, and personal
character has space to develop.
I have been engaging students in creative, hands-on, relevant environmental science activities for
over ten years. The Personal Watershed Project is one such project. The Personal Watershed Project
was inspired by a sketch created by Running-Grass, director of The Three Circles Center, when I met
him in Seattle in the late 1990s. The Three Circles Center proposes that the circles of culture, ecology
and community are symbiotic and connected. From his lens as a multicultural environmental
educator, he suggested and sketched out how students might metaphorically become water. This
idea made a big splash with me. Running-Grass and
I recently reconnected and I shared the outcomes I
created from his initial ripple. What follows is
reflection of that curriculum development, lesson
overviews, and student work samples.
Lesson
I designed The Personal Watershed Project as the
culminating activity for a Watersheds unit. A
watershed is an area of land defined by the area of
water drainages. Watersheds are the most natural
of regions and can be scribed with an
understanding of topography. How the landforms
affect the flow of water is a critical concept in ecology, geology, and environmental education. In
addition, the mechanisms of the water cycle exemplify cycles of Science. At the end of the unit,
students were able to indentify basic features of a watershed; define, map, and delineate a
watershed; recognize the features of a topographic map that create watershed boundaries; and
connect personally with the concepts of a watershed by creating an artistic piece.
Students began to investigate such questions as:
• How does topography affect the flow of water?
• Where does the water flow? and
• What is the water cycle?
by modeling watersheds. I guided students to create models with a variety of accessible and familiar
activities, among them a large scale topographic model of one school site and “Branching Out” from
Project Wet. Finally, students explored an additional question that offered personal and creative
connections to the content:
• How is your life like a watershed?
The goal of the Personal Watershed Project was to explore the metaphor of life as water. Once we
had engaged in activities to build background knowledge, students and I generated a list of possible
features in a watershed and stages of the water cycle: mountain, valley, lake, cliff, waterfall, ocean,
river, stream, banks, clouds, water vapor, ground, ground water, spring, evaporation, precipitation:
rain, snow, sleet, hail, glaciers, pollution, and so on. We then brainstormed descriptive words for
those features. For example, a waterfall may be described as dynamic, vibrant, rushing, or powerful.
Those features and their descriptive terms would metaphorically represent personal identity
categories that influence, contribute to, enhance, or threaten your life. Students then listed general
categories such as gender, family, school, sports, spirituality or religion, friends, activities and
hobbies, habits, and other traits.
I provided some prompts to get students thinking about their own metaphors and to plan their
project. “My (identity/trait/influence) is like (watershed/water cycle feature) because…” Upon
completing the prompts, students sketched designs and hunted both in class and at home for images
to collage. Class time was given for the assignment, and additional time at home was also expected.
Student Sample
Students created original artwork, either in collage, drawing, or painting to illustrate the landscape
features and water cycle processes in their life as a watershed. In addition, I asked them to create a
written expression or conclusion that explained the art piece and the question: How is your life like a
watershed? Whether in poetry, prose, or free verse, students created meaningful and content-heavy
work revealing the relevance of the science to their personal teenage culture.
“Every day I flow through life, every day I don’t think twice
I try and find an easy way, the quickest way toward the bay
A river clashed, a constant re-hash, a neurological smash
Evaporation is opposite my imagination, against my mental creations
It takes my thoughts from the bay, pulls them every which way
My thoughts are then condensed compressed rearranged
The water never stays or sways it rushes away everyday
Every day I flow through life, every day I don’t think twice.”—Foster Allen, age 13, 2002
Assessment
This is an interdisciplinary project: art, literacy, creative writing, and science content (earth science
and physical science) all find their place in the Personal Watershed Project. In fact, some students
indicated that they enjoyed the project simply because the science was only one of the many aspects.
Using a rubric, students were given an opportunity to self-assess their project prior to teacher review.
The assessment rubric is attached. Equally as important as the science content, this project allows for
individuality, self-worth, and value to shine. These turning points are pivotal in the life of a middle
school student.
Resources referenced in this article: Project Wet, Three Circles Center, and EEAW
For additional curriculum projects by Jessica C Levine, see her website at
www.greenlevine.wordpress.com or contact her at ms.green.levine at gmail dot com
How is your life a watershed?
Personal watershed/water cycle project:
The goal of this project is for you to explore the metaphor of your life as water. You will create an
artistic collage/drawing/painting that represents your life as a watershed. Finally, you will write a
conclusion that explains your art piece and the question at hand. Class time will be given for the
assignment. You may need additional time at home.
Work plan:
First assignment: bring photos, collage items, cut out pictures, etc… due: ________________
In class work day: _____________________
Final project due date: __________________________
You will create an artistic and metaphorical watershed that represents your life. You are,
metaphorically speaking, water. The landscape features represent your personal identity/influence
categories. You will illustrate the landscape features and water cycle processes that influence,
contribute to, enhance, or threaten your life. Your creation should show the possible path of actual
water in the water cycle as well as your own life’s path.
An example might be:
You feel strongly about your strengths and commitments to soccer. It is a mountain in your life.
Something you gain strength from. Thus, your path as water emerges strong from this soccer mountain,
perhaps like a waterfall. It splashes below to the lake of family. This lake receives much of your
tumbling waters. Your family is always there to support you, to catch you. You enjoy sitting with
them, being peaceful with them, reading and talking at family dinners. You flow from this lake as a
river through the forests of school. It is not always an easy path. Your social relationships are the river
banks. Some are this way, some are that way. There are days when you are not sure which side the
river is flowing on. All the while this friendship river has some calm pools, a refuge. It has some rocks,
which are merely obstacles, not stopping points. The forest is providing nutrients, but sometimes it
feels as though the animals of the forest drink more than their share.
Please look at these ideas of watershed features and possible characteristics. Please add your own
features and characteristics.
Watershed/water cycle
features
Mountain
Valley
Lake
Cliff
Waterfall
Ocean
River
Stream
River/stream banks
Clouds
Water vapor, evaporation
Ground
Ground water
Spring
Precipitation: rain, snow,
sleet, hail, etc
Snow/glaciers
Pollution
Other…
Possible characteristic(s)/role(s)/description(s)
Tall, strong, old, solid,
Low, deep,
Still, peaceful, calm, buoyant,
Sheer, scary, steep, inaccessible,
Dynamic, vibrant, rushing, powerful,
Expansive, wide, deep,
Powerful, turbid,
Babbling, playful, young,
Supportive, twisting,
Cloudy, unclear, confused, condensed,
Floating, independent,
Rooted, foundations, absorbent,
Hidden,
Unexpected, natural, pure,
Tumbling, falling, refreshing, warm, cold, delicate, icy, stellar,
crystalline,
Cold, solid, permanent, lifeless,
Toxic, harmful,
Personal identity categories/traits/influences:
• Gender (male/female)
• Family
• School
• Sports
• Spirituality or religion
• Friends
• Activities and hobbies
• Habits
• Other…
Turn over please!
Here are some prompts to get you thinking about your own metaphors. Fill them in to help guide your
planning for your project.
•
My (identity/trait/influence) is like (watershed/water cycle feature) because
•
My ____________________is/are like ______________________because
•
My ____________________is/are like ______________________because
•
My ____________________ is/are like ______________________because
•
My ____________________ is/are like ______________________because
•
My ____________________ is/are like ______________________because
•
My ____________________ is/are like ______________________because
•
My ____________________ is/are like ______________________because
Assessment rubric for How is your life a watershed?
Name:_________________________
Identifies the
major stages of
the water cycle
Emerging 1
Developing 2
Proficient 3
Exemplary 4
Not evident.
Some of the stages
evident.
All of stages are
evident and correct.
The water cycle
stages are enhanced
or expanded.
Goes beyond the
assignment by giving
Represents the No illustrations of There are only one or There are more than
a full artistic
features.
two examples of
two examples of
watershed with
representation of
watershed features. watershed features.
illustrated
numerous watershed
landscape
features.
features
Metaphors
There are more than
The few examples of
three examples of
Personal
personal metaphors
personal metaphors
metaphors are not
are simple and
evident and they are
difficult to
evident.
clear, personal, and
understand.
reflective.
Conventions
There are so many
convention errors
that work is not
comprehensible.
Conclusion
Conclusion is not Conclusion is simple
and incomplete.
evident.
Final
presentation
The project is
incomplete and
may show signs
of carelessness.
There are many
convention errors,
but work is
comprehensible.
Many metaphors are
used with strong and
clear personal
connections.
There are few
convention errors.
Conventions are
flawless.
Conclusion is
complete.
Explanations are
clear.
Conclusion is
complete.
Explanations are
clear and concise.
The project is mostly
The project is
complete and shows complete and shows
some evidence of
attention to artistic
artistic synthesis.
synthesis.
The project is
complete with extra
details and shows
exemplary attention
to artistic details.
This is museum
quality!
Your
assessment
Teacher
assessment